Bio

Welcome to the Outlaw Blues! Welcome to the JD Hobson Band.

When Outlaw Country and Americana meet the Delta Blues you get a whole new genre. JD Hobson takes his Virginia Appalachian blues roots and combines it with Seattle’s Americana and rock scene, and a sound is created that has gotten people standing up to take notice. “Hobson's brand of bluesy Americana is steeped in rich outlaw tradition.” (Seattle Weekly Reverb Magazine)

Somewhere out there on the road between Seattle, Austin, and Memphis is a man on the run. Whether from the law, or just his own personal demons, it’s hard to say, but he runs as though the boogie man himself was on his heels, or as Robert Johnson put it in his famous song, "there is a Hell Hound on My Trail." Maybe every man has felt a little like this in his life, and JD Hobson expresses this feeling in what he calls the Outlaw Blues.

JD Hobson was born and raised in Seattle, yet his father comes from the Appalachian blues country of Virginia. The music that drifted up from a juke joint named the Dewdrop Inn in Martinsville Virginia made a permanent impression on JD’s father when he was a child. The seed was planted in JD as he grew up listening to his father’s music on the radio.

Studying under greats like John Jackson, David Honeyboy Edwards, and John Cephis at Centrum in Port Townsend helped JD hone his craft. The end result is that JD has an exceptional feel for most roots music. His ability to grasp every nuance down to the minutest inflection has become his hallmark.

“This music is about reaching down deep and coming up with something authentic and timeless. The trials, sadness, and triumphs of people here in America continue on today only dressed in different clothes. Times have changed, but we inherit the blues.” – JD

In JD Hobson’s music some will say they swear they hear the rootsy goodness of Bob Dylan and the Band. Others will say they feel the bluesy rockin’ groove of the Black Keys. Still others will say it reminds them of the roadhouse vibe of Howlin’ Wolf with a little Willie Dixon in the rhythm section. What’s unanimous is that the music is infectious. Enough groove to move your feet and enough passion to move your soul.

JD played for years as a solo artist. Multiple guitars in multiple tunings with a stomp box to hold down the foot tapping beat. From sweet slide, to intricate finger picking, he proved his skill and versatility in the trenches. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. JD was nominated for best solo/duo blues act by the Washington blues society’s “Best of the Blues awards.” He also was South Sound Blues Association's Back to Beale Street Competition solo/duo winner in both 2010 and 2011, and represented them in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge.

The JD Hobson Band is the natural evolution of JD's solo career, and his fans have responded by selling out a number of shows locally in the Seattle area including the famous Tractor Tavern.

The JD Hobson Band is composed of four members: Dan Infecto on bass, who toured for years with the infamous Bob Wayne as one of his “Outlaw Carnies,” often opening for Hank Williams III. Then there is Mike Peterson on drums, and Ron Weinstein (Suffering F*ckheads, Crack Sabbath), who packs a genuine Hammond B3 organ with Leslie speaker to every show. The sound of the organ and its rotating speaker adds a mesmerizing depth to every song.

A wounded soul with a gentle heart and a fire in his belly, JD is a visionary on a mission to create American roots music with his stamp on it. “This music is something I need as much as want to play. It has saved my sanity time after time. Hopefully I can move people, while having fun at the same time.” –JD

DJ’s nationally and internationally stood up and took note in 2013 when JD Hobson’s “Where the Sun Don’t Shine” hit #8 on the Freeform American Roots Chart, and #26 on the Roots Music Report chart in addition to hitting #3 on KEXP’s Blues chart.

This is what critics are saying about JDs latest release Where the Sun Don’t Shine:

“Where the Sun Don't Shine is a wonderfully assured album, with what can only be described as a flawless salvo of opening tracks.” -Leicester Bangs Magazine

“This is an assured and solid album that suggests that the Seattle-based JD Hobson Band will have fans when they play there and with audiences further afield.”- Lonesome Highway

“Hobson's brand of bluesy Americana is steeped in rich outlaw tradition. His latest blends originals and covers seamlessly, making it hard to tell which are which, and that's a compliment.” -Seattle Weekly Reverb Magazine

Awards/Nominations:As the winner of the South Sound Blues Associations Back to Beale Street solo/duo competition, JD competed in Memphis at the 2010 and 2011 International Blues Challenges.JD was also nominated by the Washington Blues Society members for a 2011 Best of the Blues award in the best solo/duo category.